


Harry Potter and the Founders' Gifts

by salted_popcorn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Gen, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley Friendship, Harry Potter is Salazar Slytherin, Reincarnated Hogwarts Founders, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, The Golden Trio Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25990546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salted_popcorn/pseuds/salted_popcorn
Summary: It all started on their 15th birthday, either by a terrible nightmare or a confusing dream. Hermione Granger for once, did not know what was happening to her until the last moment. For Ron Weasley, one thing was clear, Protect them. For Harry Potter, everything was a nightmare. Always is, always will be. Susan Bones was a badger at heart. Reincarnation of Founders. Fourth year Cannon Divergence.This work is also cross-posted on fanfiction.net
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Susan Bones/Harry Potter
Comments: 7
Kudos: 138





	1. The Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harry has nightmares and of course nobody bothers to tell him anything anymore. Or do they?

_**"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."** _   
_**― Antoine de Saint-Exuper** _

* * *

He was standing in a dark, shady graveyard and the glowing blue light of the Triwizard Cup gave a haunted look to the headstones while his companion held it in his hand.

"Did anyone tell you the Cup was a Portkey?" Cedric asked, momentarily voicing out Harry's thoughts.

"Nope" the younger one answered, silently looking around and waiting for something to happen.

"Wands out, d'you reckon?" The other suggested and Harry complied without question.

It confused Harry, for he felt a sense of deja-vu as if something terrible was about to happen. He had a strange feeling that they were being watched.

"Someone's coming,' he said suddenly.

Through the darkness, they saw a dark silhouette drawing nearer, walking between the gravestones. From what Harry could understand, whoever they were , they were short and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over their head to obscure their face.

And then from far away, he heard a high cold voice saying, " _Kill the spare"_

And suddenly all Harry could see was a sickly green light headed next to him, and something fall behind him with a sickly 'thud'. When the boy turned his head, his breath caught in his throat.

Laying on the hard ground was a man, his blue eyes glazed over with a look of surprise, and his dark auburn hair looked lifeless. Harry felt his legs give out as he fell next to the red haired man.

_"Rick"_ he gasped, his raw voice echoing in the darkness. He grasped the man's shoulders in a death grip. _"Don't, Please"_

Suddenly Harry felt an immense heat as a sudden light surrounded him. Orange and yellow flames of fire licked the green cloak which was draped on his shoulders. And Harry wondered how he has come to wear it.

Sweat covered his forehead due to the heat surrounding him had he felt his heart quicken as familiarity of the situation.

Abruptly, a hand grabbed Harry from his shoulder and he was dragged back towards the flames. He screamed when his hands made contact with the flames and pain exploded from his fingertips.

A high cruel laughter echoed in his ears and screams- men and women screaming as if they were tortured, while Harry's raw scream drew parallel with the voices, and the boy opened his eyes, his throat dry, found himself in his bedroom in his relatives' home in Private Drive.

The boy blinked as he tried to make sense of what he saw in his nightmare. He looked around his room and noticed that his owl was not in her cage. Hmm.. She might have gone hunting for some mice.

Harry wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and sat up on his bed to regain his bearings. He glanced at the repaired clock on the table which read thirty minutes past twelve.

He sighed. Usually it was the same nightmare, over and over again. But this time- that man- who was he? For Harry, he looked familiar, but he could not place whoever it was. The man looked almost like a strange, older version of his best friend -Ron Weasley - but he's different that Harry could not place his finger on whom it was.

Slowly he knew that the details of his nightmare was slipping away from him, except the ghostly face of the red headed man. Shaking his head, he got up form his bed and walked over to the window.

Harry wondered where Hedwig had gone off to, he really wanted some company. His eyes glazed out if the small window of his room, and the glistening light form the half moon gave an eerie calmness to the surrounding neighborhood as if mocking Harry for his quickening heart.

A small silhouette of shadows appeared in the sky and it increased in size as if it was coming closer. It didn't take long for Harry to notice it was a shadow of two owls flying straight towards his window.

A snowy owl flew into the room through the open window trailed by a small overexcited owl who swirled around the room and sat on Harry's bedpost clutching a small parcel in his claws.

Harry dared to smile when he got hold of the two small packages the owls brought to him. Ron's small owl Pigwidgeon was hooting enthusiastically and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the owl's antics.

He picked up the letter attached to the parcel and felt the parchment. It was thicker than the normal paper which Ron uses, which Harry noticed a little odd, but he didn't take any more time to ponder on it.

_'Happy Birthday Harry!_ ' Ron's letter read. The boy's eyes widened in surprise. He almost forgot his birthday! Not that it was really surprising- given that his nightmares and life in the Dursley's household makes time pass almost at the rate of a snail.

Smiling to himself Harry read the letter.

> _'I hope you are doing okay mate, things are a little hectic here. Are the muggles giving you trouble? I hope not, if they do, you're one letter away from getting help.'_
> 
> _'Mom is trying to_ strip off _the twins' merchandise, (I wonder how they got the money for the ingredients?) and she seems to be doing a poor job by_ the _looks of it_.'
> 
> _'Hermione is here by the way, and she is wishing you a Happy Birthday. And blimey she's brought all the_ paper _metrials needed for our OWLs. Mental that one, 'Come-on Ron we only have eleven months to prepare,' well, that's what she says anyway._
> 
> _'Well, hope to see you soon mate, make sure that pig of a cousin of yours don't_ read the letter. _Also don't forget what I always say, Don't let the muggles let you down.'_
> 
> _'Cheers mate'_
> 
> _'Ron.'_

Harry finished the letter in confusion. There was something off about Ron's letter. True that all the details scream of his best friend, but his writing style seemed different.

Caution ringing in his mind, Harry read the letter once again, carefully intercepting each word. The thick parchment almost looked as if it was pealing into pieces.

That was when he noticed that Ron's handwriting in some parts of the letter looked different. Grabbing a quill and some parchment for himself, Harry wrote down the suspicious words. It didn't take long for Harry to bring out the hidden message.

> **_'STRIP OFF THE PAPER. READ THE LETTER'_ **

Harry frowned. Not out of confusion, but out of a strange sense of unease. The Ron Weasley he knew did not send letters with strange messages hidden in them. So who was this? Why now? And most importantly what should he do now?

He once again picked up the strange letter and reread it. 'Strip off the paper?' It was then Harry noticed that the edge of the letter was peeling off, as if two papers were stick to one another by some Muggle glue and it was wearing off.

Taking its lead, Harry slowly started stripping the two parchment, and it easily came off, like a muggle sticker would. Now Harry had two letters, each written in two different handwriting, which he noticed was from both his friends.

_'Harry,'_ the hidden letter revealed in Hermione's writing.

> _'Before we start, it's Hermione and Ron, and we helped you in sending a Norwegian Ridgeback to Romania, in case you are wondering whether we are not who we say we are. How we managed to make this letter possible is not important and what you need to know now is that we reached you, other than sending you bland letters.'_

Harry nodded to himself. Indeed he did wonder how Ron managed to sprout a hidden message in a letter, but with Hermione- anything was possible, and he was glad they did.

> _'Now, take notice on this. Things are not going well, and the ministry is still in denial. The Weasleys and I were taken to a safe house, saying that 'These are dark times'._
> 
> _'The worst thing is that, Dumbledore is trying to keep you in the dark. What he said was that, the letters could be intercepted, but now it is no longer a valid reason. He also said that you are safe in your relatives' house than where we are, but we certainly know that it is not true.'_

The raven haired boy frowned. This was not good. He did respect Dumbledore, but even a blandly oblivious person would know that he had too much control over Harry's life. This made his blood boil over the headmaster's manipulations.

> _'We have big news to say, but we cannot put it in this letter.'_

Since the return of Lord Voldemort and Harry being a reluctant participant in his resurrection, he tried to absorb all information on what's happening around, by listening to muggle news and ordering the Daily Prophet. Harry gave a low groan of frustration. This news of his friends knowing something him not being able to receive the news irritated him to no end. Sighing, he continued reading.

> _'Open Pigwidgeon's parcel, you'll find a mirror in there. Call out our names, we'll be able to see you.'_
> 
> _'Be careful Harry'_
> 
> _'Love,'_
> 
> _'Hermione and Ron'_


	2. The Wandering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Because' he had said. 'The Hat only knows who you have been. But not who you will grow up to be'

_**"The world is vast and meant for wandering. There is always somewhere else to go"** _

_**-Nick Burd** _

* * *

Early morning of the 28th of May in the year 1995, a pair of hazel eyes blinked tiredly. For almost four days, their owner's dreams were plagued with nightmares, and that morning was no better. Hands reached and touched the temples, softly massaging them to avoid the terrible headache that was yet to come.

Hazel eyes tried to focus on the ceiling of the four-poster bed while attempting to piece together the meaning of those nightmares. A groan escaped from the lips, as the dreamer shifted their weight to the side of the bed. What was the nightmare about? There was a lake. That was for sure, and an old castle. Much like the place which the dreamer was very familiar with. Was it a dream? Or by any chance- a vision?

A laugh escaped from the lips, as the subject of our story realized the utter ridiculousness of that thought. But really? What was the real reason for the nights to be plagued with nightmares and unable to have a wink of sleep?

"Su? Are you awake?" A strained voice from the other end of the dormitory shook our auburn-haired protagonist from the deep thoughts. The one with the hazel eyes wondered whether or not to respond, but the heart was filled with Hufflepuff kindness, which prompted to reply in affirmation.

"Yah" the voice of Susan Bones, - the auburn-haired protagonist of the chapter- echoed in the Hufflepuff fourth year dormitory. "I couldn't sleep"

"Nightmares again?" The first voice, which was Hannah Abbott's was laced with worry, which Susan noticed.

The girl immediately felt guilty of worrying her best friend, and immediately reassured the other girl. "It's nothing I can't handle. Go back to sleep, Hannah. It's still too early for you to worry"

Five minutes later, completely abandoning the idea of going back to sleep, Susan Bones stepped out of her dormitory and into the empty Hufflepuff common room. It was early hours in the morning and the sun was yet to rise. The girl was dressed in her most comfortable attire suitable for the weather. Yellow and black scarf was draped around her shoulders, in order for warmth in the early spring morning. The dying embers of the fireplace gave an orange glow to the darkened room.

A long sigh escaped from her lips, as the girl proceeded to walk across the common room. The sound of her slippers were muffled by the soft carpeted black floor. She found herself exiting the Hufflepuff Common room, and in the hallway, which divided the paths to the kitchens, the Basement and towards the Great Hall.

 _'It is too early for breakfas_ t' Susan realized. It was not as if she was hungry, but it was just a calm observation which she bothered to think about.

She walked on the path leading to the Great Hall, and proceeded on taking a turn to the left finding herself in front of almost hundred flights of stairs, which lead to the upper floors of the Hogwarts castle.

**.**

It was only when she felt her hair dance to the rhythm of the wind, and her skin tingling to the coldness of the night air that she really relaxed. She didn't know why she had wandered over to the astronomy tower at this hour of the morning, but Susan felt utterly calm.

Now, what was the reason for her nightmares? The plagued dreams all started on the morning of her birthday. While the details were lost to her, she was quite sure that they awakened a sense of deja-vu.

The rising sun in the horizon radiated light, warming the environment. Susan watched, fascinated by the way everything glowed, with no trace of the previous darkness.

"You seem troubled my dear" Susan was dragged out of her thoughts by a deep voice behind her. When she turned around, she found herself smiling at her companion.

"I didn't know you'd be here" she said softly, once again going back to watch the sunrise.

"Oh! I can go to any place I'm allowed to" the girl could feel the pleasant giddiness of her friend. "But that doesn't explain why a girl like you doing alone at the top of the astronomy tower at this time of the morning. Do you expect any company?"

The fifteen year girl's cheeks turned red, as she forced her glare towards the spectre next to her. "Come off it Friar, you know I've got no lover"

An honest laugh escaped from the Hufflepuff House ghost, and Susan found herself giving in, her mood instantly becoming somber. "I don't know what's happening to me"

The ghost floated close to her, his icy presence made her skin tingle in the process. "Why, pray tell dear, how did you come to this conclusion?"

Susan looked back at the stout spectre of the Hufflepuff ghost, those kind eyes and the encouraging smile reminded her of the times when she was just a first year at Hogwarts trying to adjust to the environment. Eleven year old Susan bonded with the friendly ghost when he became her nightly companion in those first few weeks when her mind was plagued with nightmares of her family's death. He comforted her, with the same kind eyes with no judgment and the encouraging smile, telling little Susan of an era of peace and harmony, of witty Hufflepuffs and loyal Slytherins, of ambitious Gryffindors and brave Ravenclaws. _'Because'_ he had said. _'The Hat only knows who you have been. But not who you will grow up to be'_

It was because of his kind eyes with no judgement that Susan trusted the Friar. It was because of that reason she found herself opening up to him.

"Nightmares -sometimes" she began with a sigh. "Dreams -which can be really confusing. Visions- maybe. I wonder if I'm actually going bloody mental!" She looked down, her cheeks tinted with a faint pink as she realized her outburst. "I'm sorry- it's just-"

"Understandable my dear, let it all out. You will feel a lot more at ease if you speak of what you have in your mind" the ghost said, with a hint of concern at the auburn hairs girl. "Although I must say, it's better to go back to the Great Hall for your breakfast. Let me accompany you, and you can tell me all about your fears"

Susan noticed that the morning light falling on the astronomy tower made the Hufflepuff Ghost look much more transparent than the darkened hallways of the school. Although his voice was calm, the ghost was fidgeting, as if the sunlight was affecting him. Was that possible? Does sunlight cause any harm to the ghosts? Maybe it's worth some research. With that in mind, the girl agreed to walk back to the castle halls, and opting to speak of her dreams.

She gave him a vague ideas of her dreams, -as the real details were lost to her- of a castle with a lake, of witches and wizards, a fire and most importantly- four figures which happened to be a constant part of it. By the time she was done, the pair of them, the ghost and the girl were turning towards the last corridor to the Great Hall. Few students were making their way for their breakfast, and most of them didn't pay any attention to the pair of them. Those that did, Only greeted them with a _'Good Morning!'_ and a small nod at their direction.

Susan turned to face the Hufflepuff House Ghost. The Friar was not smiling, although there was something akin to a sad understanding in his eyes. "My dear, I do believe you. But I don't think I can exactly say how or why you are having these -visions as you say- but I do know something" the floating spectre held his plan to the side of her chest, she could feel his icy presence in her heart. "Follow your heart. Follow whatever you think is right. I am quite sure it won't lead you astray"

With that, the the ghost turned around, and floated through a stone wall inform of him, disappearing from her view and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The girl stared at the spot where the ghost had floated off to for a few seconds, her mind trying to register what had just happened. She blinked twice, shrugging at the strange behavior of her floating friend and turned around to go to the Great Hall for breakfast. It didn't escape her notice however, that the hallway was almost empty except for herself and three others. Had she been thinking for so long? Frowning at herself and shaking her head, she walked along the corridor, and took a turn to her right.

The thought of her breakfast went right out of the window, when she noticed a figure with green and black robes running to the opposite direction, almost knocking her down. The figure looked as if they didn't notice her and the girl was almost offended. Susan didn't see their face, but she had a hunch that they weren't a Hogwarts student. Granted, the figure might be a Durmstrang or Beauxbatons, but she doubted it. she wondered why none of the others in the corridor didn't notice of them. True to her thoughts, none of the other students walking along, didn't spare her a glance as she stumbled away. Unable to restrain her curiosity and before she could realize she was being quite -dense- as Justin would say- Susan decided to trail the green and black robed person.

 _'Stupid'_ She knew that. But the Friar had asked her to follow her heart- and that is what she would be doing. Quickly and quietly she followed them ignoring the other students around her, through the corridor, across a passage of stairs and finally gaining up to them until they took a right turn to another corridor. She did call out to them, although Susan wasn't sure if the didn't hear her or ignored her.

Nevertheless when she finally caught up to the speed and took the same turn to her right, she promptly stumbled down, dragging down someone along with herself.

**.**

"- certainly think they are up to sometin-"

"-No good, of course! That's what they are-"

"Merlin, Hermione, did you just- OOF"

Oh, of course- out of all the people in the whole school, Susan just had to stumble on the Gryffindor Trio. Just her luck, now they would think she was out of her mind!

The auburn haired girl clumsily got up from where she landed, and helped the fallen students up to their feet. she looked around them, to see if she could find a track of the person she was following, but she was out of luck.

"Hullo! Susan right?" red haired Ron Weasley addressed the girl. "You look like you've been following a herd of Hippogriffs!"

"Ronald! Can you be any more insensitive?" the bushy haired girl of the trio called out rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, don't mind him. Are you alright?"

If Susan was amused by the banter between the two of them, she didn't show that. "I'm fine," she said, dismissing them. A thought occurred to her, -maybe they might have seen them!- "Actually, did you see someone coming this way? They were wearing black and green"

The auburn haired girl noted the look of confusion the three of them gave each other, until Ron answered with nonchalance. "Unless you meant one of the twins- haven't seen anyone else coming through"

"But I was following them, and they turned to this corridor-"

"Are you sure they weren't a student?" the third of their group -green eyed one- asked suspiciously.

"Yes, the robes didn't look to be a students"

Hermione Granger was rolling her eyes, although Susan could sense that she was contemplating. "Sorry Susan, We didn't notice anyone. How about-"

"How about we all go for breakfast?" Ron supplied, much to the tinge of annoyance of Hermione. Gesturing to his friend with a smirk on his face, he continued. "What? I'm starving! Come with us Bones, we'll search for your green robed person once we are done with breakfast!"

Needless to say, It was a very annoyed and a confused Susan who made it back to the Hufflepuff table for her breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually looking for a beta for this story, who can edit and also to give some input to the story.
> 
> You can also join with weaving the stroyline, giving your ideas on little snippets on the lives of the lives of the founders, and of our favorite Golden Trio.
> 
> Your love and support is what makes this story going.


	3. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was the one to be cooped up in a library, doing her own research and keeping her nose out of other people's business. Unless it's a full blown argument, where she steps in and advises on negotiations. Bu,t in light of recent events, as Hermione Granger; the best friend of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, she had made it her duty to restore the friendship between the two best friends.

**_"Your greatest awakening comes, when you are aware about your infinite nature."_ **

**_-Amit Ray_ **

* * *

_"This is the place." the dark haired lady said, soft brown eyes gazing across the land, wherein stood a mighty castle which was humming with a powerful force of Magik._

_"It is powerful," said the green eyed man, whose skin was tingling with the magical presence to a point that he had never felt before. It was a foreign feeling, although it was welcoming. The whole place gave a wonderful feeling of home. A feeling which had been denied him for so long. "Doth thou regard 'tis safe?" The question wasn't an accusation, it was a statement from a man who had been living in fear for most of his life._

_"'Tis the safest place." replied the lady who spoke first. "_ _I trust the magic which hath weaved 'i the stones"_

_"Aye" the third person, a man with sky blue eyes and the build of a warrior spoke for the first time. "'Tis safe. We shall add our own enchantments if needed"_

_"Well_ _then, Let us bid here home" said the last of their group, a hazel eyed lady born of the common folk who never had a place to call home._

_Together, the four_ _battle worn, exhausted, sleep deprived travelers walked in to a foreign territory, a castle of Deep Magik which was yet to be discovered._

_._

* * *

_20th November 1994_

Rowena Ravenclaw was never known for her patience. For her wisdom, for her cleverness -yes. But certainly not for her patience. Which was why she happened to be the first one to awake, perhaps she might be the only one. Her awakening doesn't necessarily meant she knew anything and everything as she once did. She knew things. _Of course_ , she wouldn't be _Rowena Ravenclaw_ if she didn't know. Neither would she be Hermione Granger if she denied the knowledge.

Hermione Granger turned fifteen on 19th September in 1994. It was the day she started seeing the memories of her previous life. She had been having tiring two months of nightmares and visions and apparitions -real or otherwise- and suspicions and knowledge of her past life as the Ravenclaw founder, until Hermione finally realized herself for who she was. It wasn't as easy as one might think, she had to dedicate hours and hours for camping in the library reading on History, Runes, Time, _hell_ even on Arithmancy and Divination to find out what was exactly wrong with her.

As a witch who didn't see a purpose of Divining Magic (no pun intended), the irony of finding her answer in _Unfolding The Past_ wasn't lost to her. Rowena could literally _feel_ Godric's smirk if he ever hear about her predicament. Divination and Arithmancy were more of his area of expertise. It wasn't just coincidence that Hermione walked out of the Divination classroom in her third year at Hogwarts, as the Ravenclaw founder herself disliked it. Although, when you are under circumstance of relatively impossible magical condition, Rowena would never let any subject to be underestimated. For once in her two lifetimes, she could agree with the subject, as ridiculous as it sounded the Theory of Reincarnation was the only answer.

The girl sighed. Her hands reached to rub her strained eyes, and a yawn escaped her lips against her will. Her nights were not as pleasant as her days. Deciding that she was done for the evening, Hermione picked up her things, -a set of quills and the notes she had written- put the books in the necessary places in the library, and walked her way out of the library and to the Gryffindor common room.

Rowena was never the one to encourage violence. She always advised her friends ans her students on that, opting on negotiation above everything else. She would never be the one to call herself a Gryffindor, which made her wonder why the Hat thought that she would do well as a student of Godric's House.

As she walked in through the portrait hole, the first people she looked for were her two friends, a green eyed black haired guy who was as stubborn as a horse whose heart was in the right place, and a blue eyed red haired dolt who was stubborn as a mule who should think a little more deep. Both of them sat at the to opposite ends of the room, avoiding each other to an extent she had never seen before.

Rolling her eyes at their ridiculous fight, she approached the stubborn one first. Ahem- the red haired one.

"Don't you think this is enough now?" she asked the boy who was writing notes on a parchment, sitting next to him on an empty stool.

He gave her an accusing stare and a sarcastic laugh. "I've got a couple more inches to write"

She glared back at him for his blatant change of subject. "You know what I meant." her eyes fell on the parchment, reading the question and shuddering inwardly. _Explain how planets influence in divining the daily lives of the Wizarding Community._ None of that now, she was done with divination for the day.

"When is it due?" Hermione asked curiously, gesturing at the essay. She was yet to see Ron Weasley working on homework out of his own accord. This could be a start.

"Tomorrow, first lesson" his tone was nonchalant, but she could sense an edge in his voice.

"Ah, you have a few more hours. Why start now?" she couldn't help but add with a little heat. He looked angry and she knew why. Why can't people just- listen to logic? It's perfectly clear that it wasn't Harry who entered his name. Why can't he see that?

"That is none of your business!" he snapped, glaring at her as if she was the object of his anger.

"It is actually," she said calmly. "I'm wondering what have you done with Ron Weasley?"

The red-head sighed. "Listen 'Mione-" the girl in question gave him a death glare worthy of the Ravenclaw founder. "-Hermione." he hastily corrected himself at her glare. "-Not right now"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the boy's comment. Ron Weasley avoiding an argument? Now, this is certainly out of his character. "You are missing him aren't you?" she took a wild guess, and smirked when she realized she was right. The bushy haired witch could see him gritting his teeth.

"No," his reply was firm and had a tight grip on his quill, as he avoided her eyes. He was lying. "I am fine"

"Huh" Rowena couldn't help herself. "Very well then" she said, rolling her eyes and making a gesture of getting up. "Let me know if you change your mind. Honestly, I don't even know why I try!"

His grip was so tight that she could almost predict the snap of his quill. It never happened. "Charlie wrote to me." Ron spoke, whose voice was so quiet that she only heard him because she was looking at him.

"Charlie? Why? Is he okay?"

"Yeah," he said with another sigh. "Yeah he is okay. 'Said that he'd be coming to Hogwarts soon"

"But that's good news!" Hermione chirped excitedly, although wondered why he looked so upset at the news. "Why do you look so glum then?"

"You remember where he works? He works with bloody Dragons!"

"So? He might have wanted a break with them, wanted to see how his brothers are doing-"

"Soon after he visited us this summer? No! Hermione, he won't leave his precious dragons unless-"

"Unless he is needed here. With them!" Realization dawned upon her as she looked at Ron in a new light. "Do you think dragons are the first task?"

"I don't bloody know!" He ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. Those red locks were longer than they were supposed to be. "I don't know if he meant the first task, or nothing at all"

"You have to tell him," said Hermione, looking at Harry.

"NO!"

"What is wrong with you? He needs to know"

"I am not going to tell him"

Hermione sighed. "Listen, I'm going to telling him if you want me to or not, and I'm going to mention that you told me"

"Don't tell him you knew it form me! You'll make him angry"

"He is as much to blame on this as you are. You both are stubborn idiots" The girl took pity on him. "Listen, come to Hogsmade with us tomorrow. Talk to Harry. He misses you too"

"No, I don't want to talk to him" Ron said stubbornly, and Hermione huffed.

"Fine! Be like that! Just know that if it is the first task, and you knew about it, you're the one who it is to blame!" With another huff, she stood from her stool, and walked to the other end of the common room, right before hearing a groan form the aforementioned guy. She smiled to herself, knowing that things would be alright between them. Wait, not when there's a dragon in the days to come. With a troubled sigh, she sat next to Harry who was brooding on a couch.

Rowena hated this. She hated going back and forth between her two best friends. It was usually Helga's job, making people see the best in everyone and bringing out their true spirit of loyalty.

She was the one to be cooped up in a library, doing her own research and keeping her nose out of other people's business. Unless it's a full blown argument, where she steps in and advises on negotiations. But in light of recent events, as Hermione Granger; the best friend of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, she had made it her duty to restore the friendship between the two best friends.

"Harry!" She called out to the brooding boy and rolled her eyes at his nonchalant expression. "I was just talking to Ron and-"

Harry's face darkened as she mentioned his name and he cut her off with something akin to hurt in his eyes. "I don't want to hear it" he said.

"Don't be stupid" she said frowning and nudging his side. "This is important. He has gotten a letter from Charlie saying that he'd be coming to Hogwarts soon"

"Yeah? Why is that important? He mentioned that when he came to the World Cup didn't he?"

"He works in Romania! With dragons! Ron thinks that-"

"So he is done with being jealous with me?" Harry said hotly. "Why does he care anyway?"

"Don't be rude Harry! He cares about you! You know that!"

"Well, you go tell that to him."

"Would you listen to me for once Harry? Honestly, you both are idiots!" The boy looked back at her and Rowena felt a little sorry for him. "Did you try to talk to him for once?"

Harry groaned. "Hermione! What's gotten into you? Ron's being a git and you know it!"

"Yes-, But didn't you hear what I've been telling you? He thinks the first task could be dragons!"

"Fat a lot of-," The the boy stopped halfway through his sentence as he looked back at his friend, his mouth half open. "Dragons?" He said with a sigh. "Great! Just- that's just exactly what I wanted"

Another sigh of frustration escaped from his lips as he ran a hand though his black mess of hair. "How-, how am I supposed face a dragon?"

Well, if Rowena could be honest, the best thing one could do is to not to face a dragon. There was a reason that the school motto to be ' _Never tickle a sleeping dragon'._ Technically, that was one of the reasons. She wanted to know what the professors were thinking of bringing a dragon to a castle full of students; yet alone letting them face one! How has the world has come to this?

Rowena Ravenclaw dearly missed her friends that moment. Godric would probably be cursing to himself, and Helga would be so furious that she would probably be ready to face the dragon herself to protect her students. Salazar-, Salazar would probably be the one to silently accept it and make plans to stop it form happening in the first place. She sighed. She missed them.

While she was contemplating on her past life, Rowena nearly missed Harry getting up form the comfortable couch, and taking his bag which was laying on the floor. "I'm going to bed" he announced softly, and Hermione could see a shadow of worry stretched across his face.

"We will figure this out Harry" she promised and she did meant it. Even if he was a Champion or not, and she was a Founder or not, Hermione Granger would help him, her best friend.

Rowena Ravenclaw might not meet her best friends again, but Hermione Granger will, and she would never change it for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A word of advice to all of those who are reading this, don't try to make instant noodles with an electric cooker, I've tried it, and I won't recommend it.
> 
> That being said, feel free to give your thoughts, comments, and your ideas for this story. :)


	4. The Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it hit him like a rock, what he should do, what he is supposed to do.
> 
> Protect, Protect, Protect.

_**"For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain."** _

_**-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow** _

* * *

_24th June 1995_

It was a torture. An absolute torture to wait to hear any news of his best mate. The moment he saw Harry disappear through the maze, Ron Weasley feared for his friend's life. It was a feeling that he had been trying to deny since the beginning of this cursed tournament. The third task was lasting longer than the first two tasks, which didn't made him feel any better at all. The other two, while being extremely dangerous there were people observing from the sidelines,ready to butt in if the things got out of hands. This one though, sending off red sparks is not the real way to call help and be there on time.

Most people would call him dumb, or insensitive, but Ron knew where his loyalties lie. He once lost his best friend in another life because of sheer misunderstanding in both of their parts, and he was not going to loose Harry this time. his best friend, his _brother_. Only one other person has claimed that title from him, a lifetime ago.

When an enervated Fleur Delacour appeared out of the maze, followed by a stunned Viktor Krum, that feeling of dread Ron felt at the pit of his stomach felt heavier than ever. Whose idea was this tournament anyway? This shouldn't be completed by seventeen year old kids, yet alone a fourteen year old! granted, a teenage kid shouldn't face a shade of a Dark Lord twice in two years along with a basilisk and a herd of dementors, but this was completely out of his fault, wasn't it? Ron remembered how he acted at the beginning of the school year and he inwardly shuddered.

A sudden crack of sound and someone appearing out of thin air at the entrance of the maze brought Ron out of his musing thoughts, along with his feeling of dread. There was heavy commotion, he could see nothing from where he was sitting at the stands. Someone screamed and Ron's heart dropped to his stomach.

Grabbing Hermione's hand, he ran down the stands and finally made to the open area of the pitch, trying to figure out what exactly happened to his friend.

" _He is dead!_ "

The words stopped Ron dead on his tracks. All blood drained from his face. he could feel his tight grip around Hermione's wrist as he heard someone mumble those words. _'No! Not Harry! Please not him!_ ' Harry, his best mate, his _brother_ couldn't be- _cannot_ be dead. he refused to believe those words. He had lost his friend once, it's never going to happen anytime soon. He felt Hermione squeeze his hand back as if it was the last thing she was holding.

Tears pickled his eyes but he refused to let them fall until he knew what was happening.

A crowd of students were gathered around the pitch with most of the professors. "Move" The redhead snapped at the boy standing in front of him, barely managing to keep his rage and despair under control. He wanted to see what was going on. _Where was Harry?_

" _Diggory_ " Ron heard someone say. " _Diggory is dead. Potter brought his body_ "

Despite being at the worst of a situation, Ron couldn't help but to release the breath he was holding. ' _Not Harry! Harry is alive.'_ His brother is alive!

.

Then, it happened. for a moment, Ron wasn't in the Quidditch pitch anymore.

He was standing- no, he was drowning- water surrounded every inch of his skin- his vision filled with blue- _blue,_ _blue_ of the water, his hands felt like lead- his lungs _burned-_ he couldn't _breathe,_ and _Ron was scared_!

_No no no!_

Where was he? He couldn't give up, there was something wrong- he was drowning- but he looked up and there was light- _Sunlight -_ he assumed, the surface-

So he kicked his feet,- _it felt like lead_ \- but _no no no_ he can't give up now- there is something he should do - _he just don't know what-_

_His lungs burned._ _Can't- Can't breathe._ But he's so close, the light-

Finally, _Finally_ , he broke surface, kicking his legs, got a lung full of air, and _looked._

He had no idea where he was _._

That said, there was something in his mind, nagging at the back of his head, something - _something_ \- he should be doing, _what_? _Why?_

And it hit him like a rock, what he should _do_ , what he is _supposed_ to do.

_Protect, Protect, Protect._

_He- The Protector-_

He should _protect!_

The thoughts left a warm fire in his chest, as if a missing piece of a puzzle has finally clicked into place.

But then he heard someone- screaming- _screaming_ for _Help,_ and he would, for sure, but he had no idea where he was or where he needed to go,- he was wet, surrounded by water, his boots- ( _boots?)_ \- felt like lead.

And then, _there-_ he saw, a head of dark hair, bobbing in and out through the surface- screaming- _begging_ for help.

But- _is that_ -

Sweet Merlin, _is that_ -

_"Sal'"_ eyes wide, he uttered - _screamed-_ his friend's name, trying to get to him, to help, to _protect-_

But he was drowning again, his muscles _ached_ , he needed to get to him, his friend, his _brother-_

_._

There was a death grip on his wrist, he tried to shake it off to no avail. He blinked slowly, only to realize that he was back in the Quidditch field, Hermione calling out his name.

"Ron- _Ron!_ Are you okay?" her voice seemed distant, as if she was talking in a tunnel. Ron blinked again, his mind acking to think about what happened to him. But- _Harry_! _Merlin_ , his brother, he need to get to him. _Soon_!

"Yeah" Ron replied, his voice hazy, "Yeah. We,- We should find him-"

"Where is he?" Hermione voiced out the question that plagued his mind. _Where was he_? He- should be here- but-, Ron's eyes wandered through the crowd, something was of-

"Hospital Wing" _probably_ - _hopefully,_ Ron voiced out, he thinking of the only possible place where Harry could be. Looking back at the stands, Ron saw his mother was ushering his siblings away from the commotion probably towards the Hospital Wing. Nodding to Hermione, and taking her hand, he followed his family, towards the Hospital Wing.

_Harry is okay, Harry is okay._

The Hospital Wing was- in one word Chaos. Ron's mother was fretting over what happened to Harry. Yet there was no sign of him coming to the hospital wing. For Ron, waiting and wondering what happened to his best mate was one of the worst things he did with the exception of leaving Harry on his own at the beginning of the tournament.

The feeling of guilt that had rooted at the depth of his mind had started to grow. Why did he doubt his best mate? Why did he let his best mate deal with the worst moments of his life when he could have been there to support him? It has always come to this. Always Harry had to deal with everything on his own and barely survive.

Ron took a seat near to the door next to Hermione, waiting - _waiting_ for his friend. Ron left his friend when he needed him the most.

_No more_ Ron swore to himself. _He would not be alone anymore._ He silently looked over at Hermione who was sitting next to him, tears streaming from her eyes.

The door to the Hospital Wing busted open and in came his best friend looking so fragile and vulnerable but _alive, alive, alive_ supported by Dumbledore and Sirius Black in his animagus form.

"Harry! Oh, Harry!" Molly Weasley's muffled scream brought Ron back to the present, wanting nothing more than to hug his little brother. The boy- for he looked so small that moment, looked up and met Ron's eyes, and the red headed boy felt all blood drain from his face. Harry looked -haunted, _like death_. His eyes were dull green- not the bright green which Ron saw before the Third Task. And he doubted that Harry would ever look the same again.

The boy looked away again, fixing his eyes on the floor, and it took all of Ron's will to not to run and hug him- _to tell him he's not alone._

He heard Hermione gasping next to him when Dumbledore explained the situation to his family. He spared another glance at Harry, who looked dead on his feet, glassy eyes that was filled with unshed tears.

"Molly," Dumbledore started, "Please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace-"

The Headmaster was interrupted when Harry silently limped away from the Professor and walked towards Ron's Mother. It was a good thing that Molly knew what he wanted just by her motherly instincts and grabbed hold of the fragile boy just before his legs gave out.

And there, The the young boy of Fourteen years, who had never had a touch of a real mother , broke down on Molly Weasley 's arms reaching for a small resemblance of a mother's love.

Next to him, Ron felt Hermione grab his arm as if it was her lifeline. For him her grip on him was the only thing that kept him from breaking down, questioning why the hell the whole world being cruel to his little brother.

_I let go of him one lifetime, I will never do it again!_ \- Ron didn't know how that thought came to him, but all he knew was that he will keep his word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up soon, hopefully.


End file.
